
94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or good
Learn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish.
Find out more
BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Epidemiol.
Sec. Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fepid.2025.1461874
The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Introduction: Illicit alcohol, existing outside legal frameworks, lacks safety standards and may contain harmful substances. In Africa, the illicit alcohol market is pervasive, contributing to significant public health challenges. The state in Zambia may not be so different where abuse of alcohol was associated to unintended injuries, suicidal ideation and physical fights that in some cases lead to death. This mirrors these challenges; according to the Zambia Stepwise Survey for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Risk Factors (2017), 21.7% of adults consume alcohol, with urban areas experiencing higher rates of illicit production. Aim: The study aimed to assess the public health risk implications associated with the production and retail of illicit alcohol based on the hygiene and sanitation of these premises. A quantitative approach was employed in Livingstone, Lusaka, and Ndola. Methods: We employed a quantitative approach was conducted in Livingstone, Lusaka, and Ndola. A hygiene and sanitation observation tool obtained from the Lusaka City Council was adapted and utilized to evaluate the conditions of these premises.The study found that Livingstone exhibited the highest rate of unavailability of water supply at illicit alcohol production sites, with 18% lacking access to water, while Lusaka had 13% without water supply of the zones selected, all sites in Ndola had water supply. Conclusion: Given the growing trend of consuming illicit alcohol in such unsanitary environments, urgent interventions are warranted. The study recommends the implementation of enforcement of regulations, including regular inspections and enhanced enforcement mechanisms, to ensure hygienic and sanitary production practices.
Keywords: Illicit alcohol, Hygiene, Sanitation, Alcohol production, Alcohol retailers
Received: 30 Jul 2024; Accepted: 24 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 MUKUPA, Zyambo, Phiri, Zulu, Francis L Matenga, Mabanti, Hainze, Ogwell, Dejong, Menda, Rizzo, Goma and Achoki. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
MUSAWA MUKUPA, Centre For Primary Care Research (CPCR), Lusaka, Zambia
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Research integrity at Frontiers
Learn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish.